TCw.ce: a TlTHecKTLucsbav anb jfrtoay
VOLUME XXVII.
ALLIANCE, DOX BUTTE COUNTY, NEBRASKA, FBI DAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1920.
NUMBER 22.
PHONE COMPANY
ARGUING FOR
AFRANJSE
.
f. A. MAY OF OMAHA Al,
BEFORE COUNCIL
Objections to Promised Provision. V
Ordinance May Withhold
Improvements
Alliance stands a chance to lose
some $20,000 or $30,000 worth of
contemplated improvements for 1920
Unless the city council grants the
Nebraska Telephone company a
workable franchise without unneces
sary delay, according to Frank A.
May of Omaha, commercial manager
cf the company, who made another
effort to convince the city council
that the company's demands are not
exorbitant, and that all it desires is
an opportunity to make a fair return
on its Investment in this city.
This is about the steenth effort
that the company has made to talk
the council into granting a franchise,
nd each one has been abont as pro
ductive of results as the one just
preceding. The council is in no
hurry at all and they smilingly in
formed Mr. May of that fact, just as
they had Informed his predecessor.
All the council wants is to write the
franchise as they want it, and not as
anyone else wants it.
The company's franchise expired
several months ago, and no other
Jias been granted. The company sub
mitted an ordinance prepared by
their legal department, which the
council refused to consider. Instead
they appointed a committee consist
ing of W. R. Metz, city attorney, and
Councilman Harry Johnson, who
drew up a list of suggestions as to
what they thought a franchise should
contain, and presented these to the
' council, which thereupon agreed that
the next step was to put them up to
the company.
Mr. May devoted his whole argu
ment to these suggestions, and when
he got through there wasn't very
many of them he was in favor of.
He read the report as The Herald
had printed it, and suggestion by
suggestion, registered his objections.
And there were lots of them.
At the outset, he stated that the
ordinance submitted by the company
was the standard form that had been
passed by practically every council
In practically every town or city in
which the company does business. He
said that he didn't think it was 100
per cent pure, but that the towns in
which it was in force found that it
answered their pur pot e very well.
Alliance was the first city where a
complaint had been registered.
The first of the committee's sug
gested changes was that the com
pany should furnish six phones for
the use of the city, instead of two,
as the company-drawn franchise pro
vided. To this, he said, the com
pany had no objection, provided a
provision were Incorporated to the
effect that the use of these phones
be in lieu of an occupation tax. All
the phones classed as business
phones, and the total would amount
to $250 a year, or $5,000 for the
twenty-year period of the franchise,
which he thought a reasonable occu
pation tax.
Mr. May then took up the sugges
tion that the actual cost of remov
ing poles and wires in case of house
moving be charged to the company,
instead of the owner of the house,
as provided in the company's ordi
nance. Various towns have different
provisions In this regard, some of
them making the company and the
house owner split the cost. One Al-
" liance councilman had a house moved
and it was necessary on this occasion
to cut a cable or two. The ordinary
lineman cannot do this class of work,
and the result was that two men
were brought down from Omaha and
the councilman is charged with
something like $150, when the es
timated cost was given at $50. In
cases like this, Mr. May said, the
charge will not exceed the estimate.
He asked the council not to impose
this penalty on the company, and
cited the city's lighting plant, which
la protected by ordinance.
Another recommendation of the
committee was that the company
should not only place all new poles
and wires where directed by the
committee on streets and alleys, but
, that they should make such changes
1 in the location of present lines as
, the council may direct Mr. May
i said that this provision might be
J subjected to a pretty broad Interpre-
tatton. The company In every city
; In which it does business aims to
place Its poles and wires strategical
ly, so as to serve the greatest nam'
ber of patrons wUh least expense.
A future council might be very arbi
trary, Mr. May said, and every bft
of equipment costs money. If the
council, for instance, should order
the company to put in underground
cables to any great extent, it might
increase the investment iu Alliance
to a figure that would be prohibitive.
It is never profitable to go under
ground unless there are at least 600
nalrs of wires. Mr. Mav several
'mes remarked that the only source
J 'revenue the company had was
its subscribers, and that any
& ..Ordinary expense would simply
vc to be passed along to them.
The council's committee recom
mended the elimination of section 5
of the company's ordinance, which
provided penalty for defacing poles
and wires or injuring company prop
erty. The city's idea was that ii
costs money to prosecute these cases
and that such a provision was unnec
essary because it is already covered
by state law. Mr. May said that if
the provision were left in, as an
added protection to the company, he
would be willing to have matters ar
ranged so that the company would
take care of the prosecution. The
posting of placards on poles, for in
stance, Mr. May said, was responsible
for accidents, a lineman believing he
had stuck his spurs into solid wood.
The chief objection raised to the
council's suggestions was In connec
tion with the provision that the com-,
pany agree within three years to
(Continued on Fage 6.)
GETTING READY
TO BEG
N PAVIING
Engineer in Charge Is on the Gronnd
and Material Is Doing
Unloaded
Engineer Olson, in the employ of
Grant & Fulton, who will supervise
the construction work of Sprague &
Knisely on the paving district com
prising a large portion of Box Butte
avenue and adjacent streets, is on
the ground this week, and a force of
men hah been engaged in unloading
several carloads of sand, gravel and
machinery. A huge steam "shovel is
part of the equipment. The material
is being piled to the west of the city's
power plant. v -.-:'-Mr.
Olson is now looking for c
residence. He expects to bring Lis
family to Alliance as soon as a lo
tlon can be found.
Smith & Chambers are now reaiy
to resume construction of the watjr
main extensions, providing the
weather conditions will not charge
sufficiently to call a halt. There le
mains still four-inch extensions from
Eighth to Tenth streets on Emerscn,
and from Sixth to Tenth on Plrt'e,
with a six-inch main connectipg the
Emerson and Platte mains. The
contractors started the work last
fall, but the weather made a post
ponement imperative.
SPECIAL AGENT SMITH
SECURES CONFESSION
Burlington Special Agent T. J
Smith returned on Thursday from
Crawford, where he had been en
gaged in running down thefts of coal
from the chutes, as well as thieving
from cars and freight house. Walter
Maj field of Crawford, in charge of
the coal chute nights, pleaded guilty
last week to a charge of taking coal
and a fine of $5 and costs was im
posed.
Tuesday of this week, Mayfield ad
mitted that he had robbed no less
than eleven freight cars. A consid
erable amount of merchandise of va
rious kinds was found secreted in bis
home by Mr. Smith, who secured a
search warrant and went through
the premises. The confession fol
lowed the search. Maynela was
taken before Judge Westover at
once, and pleaded guilty, receiving
an Indeterminate sentence.
BRANDT HAS A NARROW
ESCAPE FROM DEATH
P. W. Brandt narrowly escaped
death last Sunday when he was serl
ouBly Injured at the P. J. Knapp
ranch, west of Alliance. Mr. Brandt
was repairing the windmill when the
steel fan swung around and struck
him on the head. His skull was In
jured by the blow, and be nearly bled
to death before medical assistance
arrived. Mr. Brandt was brought to
Alliance to the borne of bis slater
Mrs P. J. Sturgeon, where be Is said
to be making a good recovery.
Mrs. Martha Kelley Is Quite 111 at
her borne on Toluca avenue.
TWO MORE DEATHS
AT ALBRIGHT HOME
Mother nnd Daughter Succumb After
Four Others Die of Pneumonia
Following Influenza.
Warren Albright, whose wife and
five children have died within the
past week of pneumonia following
he influenza, and who was reported
o be in aserious condition the first
of the week, ia no longer in danger,
according to Dr. Bcllwood, the at
tending physician.
Funeral services were held Thurs
ay for the last three members of the
Albright family, Alice Ruby Albright,
he mother, aged thirty-five; Foretta
Lorn a, aged fourteen, and the three-
ear-old baby. The mother and four
teen-year-old daughter died Wednes
day morning.
The father is the only one of the
family to survive the ravages of the
disease.
BUILDINli EXTENSIONS
TO CITYLIGHT LINES
Up until the change in the weather
Friday morning, the city's force of
electricians has been putting in the
week working on the extensions to
the city's lines. The extensions to
the south have been completed, but
there remains extensions to the east,
north and west to be constructed.
The work will be rushed as fast af
the weather permits.
No word has come from Hemlng-
ford concerning the erection of a
power line to use the cty's juice.
But word has come from Alliance.
One business man who owns a
couple of buildings has announced
that if the city doesn't come across
with a ten-cent rate for him, the
same rate that was offered Hemtng-
ford, he is going to consider the ques
tion of installing his own light plant.
The electrician in charge tried to ex
plain to him that the city would
probably make him the same rate as
hey offered the city of Hemingford,
metered at the plant, but at last re
port he had not been pacified.
SOME DEMAND FOR
CALLING GRAND JURY
Present prospects are that a grand
ury may e impaneled to Investigate
complaints of gambling and bootleg
ging. These complaints have been
coming in thick and fast the past
few days, it is said, and the author
ities are inclined to believe that a
grand jury session would be a whole
some thing.
County Attorney Lee Basye has ex
pressed himself in favor of such a
course. A. number of citizens are re
ported to be urging such a course.
FUNERAL SERVICES FOR
ROBERT GLENN M'CLFRK
Funeral services for Robert Glenn
McClure, nine-months-old son of Mr.
and Mrs. R. C. McClure. who died
Wednesday evening of bronchial
troubles, were held from the Chrls
tlon church at 3 p. m. Thursday.
Only" Seventeen Days Left
After March 1, The Alliance Herald will cost you either $2.50
or $3.00 per year. If you live within a radius of 150 miles of
Alliance, you will pay the lower rate, but outside of that, due to
increased postage and mailing charges, you'll have to come across
with 50 cents additional.
The Herald prints more real news than any other paper of Its
class in the state. Live news of Alliance, printed while it's still
news, written in a newsy way. All the news that's fit to print and
nothing that isn't.
Until March 1, subscriptions will be received at the old rate.
Regular subscribers may pay for not to exceed one year In advance
at $2.00 per year. Use the coupon before you forget It.
SPECIAL 12.00 OFFER
The Herald,
Alliance, Neb.
Enclosed find $2.00 for which credit me with one year's addi
tional subscription to The Alliance Herald.
Name T-T .,, ' .. -
PostofQce
R. F. D. or Box No.,
If ark with an X (New
PRESIDENT MEETS
RAIL MEN TODAY
Incentive Is Kxiiertcd to Support
I linen in Refusal of In
creased Pay
Itcp. .orts in Alliance to tlio effort
that a compromise settlement lr t.
been reached were today said to be
without foundation by local railroad
otllclals.
President Wilson, resuming active
participation in executive affairs, to
day will meet a committee of three
from the railroad employes' organ
ization and give them his answer to
their $1,000,000,000 wage Increase
demands. The president, who has
been studying the reasons which Im
pelled Director General Hlnes to de
cline the organized workers' wage
requests, is expected to-announce to
the committee his support of Mr.
Hlnes' position, but to urge them t
wait patiently for a while until gen
the railroads are returned to private
eral conditions can be adjusted after
the railroads are returned to private
ownership under new legislation,
which provides for orderly consider
ation of "workers grievances."
Director General Hlnes conferred
more than an hour last evening with
the strike committee of the main
tenance of way employes who have
given notice of a strike beginning
February 17 unless their wage de
mands are granted.
The director general told the com
mittee what he had Just told the gen
eral committee yesterday about the
Impossibility of meeting the de
mands, and urged them to be patient
until President Wilson speaks.
! "The demands for increases made
by the railroad workers," said an
official today, "would aggregate ap
proximately $1,000,000,000 a year
and would bring the total annual
wace increase to railroad workers
since the roads came under govern
riant control to approximately $2,-
000,000.000."
The heads of railroad brother
hoods, so far as can be ascertained
,rojn their demeanor here, in the face
of the government's "rejection,""; are
i not inclined to be belligerent. -
They point to the president's ef
forts in their behalf in the past, and
recalled particularly the pledge made
to them by Mr. Wilson last summer
that he would do all in his power to
see that they get Justice, no matter
whether the railroads were under
government control or not.
"I anticipate," said the president,
addressing the railroad workers'
wage committee at that time, "that
legislation dealing with the future of
the railroads will in explicit terms
afford adequate protection for the
Interests of the employes of the
road; but quite apart from that it is
clear that no legislation can mane
. the railways other than what they
are, a great public Interest, and it is
' not likely that the president of the
I United States, whether in possession
and control of the railroads or not,
will lack opportunity or persuasive
fnrr tn Influence the decision of
questions arising between the man-
- State..
) or (Renewal...
agers of the railroads and the rail
way employes.
"The employes may rest assured
that, during my term of office,
hether I am in actual possession
of the railroads or not, I shall not
fall to execute the full Influence of
tlie exerut've to pee that justice Is
done them."
Recalling these words, the railroad
workers expect the president, even If
It is necessary to turn down their
wage demands at this time, to give
them some encouragement for future
consideration and also to encourage
them In their protest to Mr. Hlnes
against dereliction of congress for
Its failure to enact legislation which
would tend to reduce the cost of liv
ing. SILVER GRILL HAS NOT
CHANGED JWRIETORS
Announcement was made last
week of the sale of the Silver Grill
to Ernest Radenbaugh of Hastings,
Neb.' The announcement proved pre
mature, however, as the transaction
was never completed.
F. T. Garvin wishes it understood
that he retains ownership of thel
cafe, and In his advertisement in this
Issue of The Herald, makes It plain
that you will still be able to receive
there the finest of food, cooked well,
and served the way you like to get
it, without any unnecessary delay.
VOTE TO FINISH
LIBRARYBASEMENT
Social Center, Which Will Be Avail-
able for Public Meeting,
to Be the Result.
The Library board, at its meeting
Wednesday evening, voted to go
ahead with Improvements in the
basement of the city library, whclh
was never finished. This has bee
pet plan of the board's for some
months, but sufficient funds have
never been in Bight until the present.
Last year seats and other equipment
were purchased.
E. O. Laing. a member of the
board, appeared at the meeting of the
city council Tuesday evening and re
ceived Informal assurance that tf the
board .could save money from
funds to ray half the cost, the city
council would come across with the
balance. The estimated cost is
$1,000.
CARMEN'S ANNUAL BALL
NEXT MONDAY EYE.
Monday evening, February 16, at
the armory in Alliance, is the time
and place set for the annual ball to
be given by the Brotherhood of Rail
way Carmen of America, local No.
814. And it will be a big event, from
the minute the doors open until the
lights are turned out.
The railway carmen conduct their
annual ball on a little different plan
than the average affair of this kind.
For one thing, there's free refresh
ments; for another, there's the best
kind of a spirit. These railroad boys
are good mixers and everybody feels
at home the minute they put their
feet inside the door.
The Wlker Jazz orchestra wll fur
niBh the music. Harry IMorris will
act as floor manager. Everybody will
have a pleasant time, and everybody
has been invited to come out and
enjoy the fun. The admission fee is
II for the men the ladles will be
admitted without charge.
Make your plans now to attend
the Carmen's ball. You'll be miss
iug a mighty pleasant evening If you
let anything else keep you away.
GAIN OF A THIRD
IN MEMBERSHIP
A representative of The Herald who
dronDed into the office of the All!
ance Community club in search of
news found Secretary Rufus Jones
busily engaged in closing his books
after the quarterly collections, and
was invited by the secretary to
glance over the membership ledger.
This examination showed tne
membership of the Community club
to be In highly satisfactory shape,
When Mr. Jones assumed the Ai
liance secretaryship the Community
club had about 100 members la good
tandinr. Today there are about
1E0. This fact Is gratifying to the
secretary and to the club's directors,
and to The Herald it Indicates un
mlatakably that the business Inter
ests of Alliance are thoroughly sat
isfied with the manner in which the
affairs ot the club are being con
ducted.
ITO INVESTIGATE
FEASIBILITY
jOfPROJECT
COMMITTEE DECIDES TO LOOK
INTO BARTOW PIiAN
Andrew Welns Invited to Come Here
From Mitchell and Give
Opinion
Judge 11. C, nartow of Ft. Flerre,
S. D., president of the Great Plains
Irrigation association, addressed a
mass meeting at the court, house
Wednesday evening. The meeting
made up In enthusiasm what It
lacked in numerical strength.
Judge Bartow expressed a frank
desire that Alliance should be made
permanent headquarters of the or
ganization, the purposes of whlcb
are, In brief, to take the waters of
the Missouri river at a point in the
northwestern part of North Dakota,
and pipe It down through the west
ern sections of South Dakota, Ne
braska and Kansas, ending tempos
rarlly In extreme southwestern
Kansas.
The meeting, which was presided
over by Glen Miller, president of the
Community club, was addressod at
some length by Judge Bartow on the
details of his proposition. He esti
mates that the ultimate cost of the
project will be In the neighborhood
of $160,000,000 and that it will irri
gate approximately 16,000,000 acres
of land. Mr. Roosevelt, when he was
president, Bald, according to Judge
Bartow, that the Idea was a good
one.
There will be plenty of water
Judge Bartow assured his hearers,
and It will require a pipe twelve feet
in diameter, preferably constructed
of wood, reinforced with hoops. At
this Juncture there aroso a discus
sion of the amount of power neces
sary for elevating the tremendous
output of water. From its source,
with an elevation of 1,155 feet, there
would be a gradual rise to Sidney,
Neb., with its 4,100 feet of altitude.
It was ascertained that In the Judg
ment of competent engineers this
would bo by no nuana an insur
mountable problem.. .These engineers
had also figured that this Irrigation
project would relieve the' strain on
the lower dikes of the Mississippi
river, during flood stages, by from
27 to 32 per cent.
Those who' heard Judge Bartow
seemed unanimous in the belief that -
the ideas advanced would be feas-
Ible, and that they would b-3 glad to
have Alliance made headquarters or
the association.' He announced that
he would be glad to take any part -
assigned him in the work, und sug
gested that arrangements be made--lmmedlately
to perfect an organ
ization. Upon motion It was decided to
namo a committee of five to Investi
gate further with a view to organis
ing. Chairman Miller named on this
committee William J. Johnson, O.
W. Nat'on. True Miller, John C. Mor
row, and by general request of the
meeting he became the fifth mem--ber
of the committer. -
There being no further business
for consideration by the mass meet
ing it adjourned, immediately follow
ing which the committee of five went
into session.
The committee appointed at the
mass meeting Tuesday evening has
decided to invite Andrew Weiss,
project manager at Mitchell, Neb., to-
come to Alliance on Monday next
and meet with them. They will ask
his opinion of the feasibility of Mr.
Bartow's scheme, and if his declston
is favorable, Alliance will get be
hind Mr. Bartow and do its best to
make the Great Plains Irrigation as
sociation the biggest kind of a
success.
OlLPl'LL TRACTOR IS
WINNER OF WORLD RECORD
The OllPull tractor, sold in Alli
ance by F. A. Clark, is the winner of
a world record in a tractor demon
stration held at Columbus, O., twj
weeks sgo. The 12-20 OllPull was
entered in competition with twenty
eight other makes from all parts oC
the United States, both oil and gas
burning, and was never in danger of
losing the belt, according to pub
lished accounts. More complete de
tails of the test will be found In tXm
advertisement of F. A. Clark, Alft
ance agent, printed on another paffsw
No appointment has been made to IU
the vacancy caused by the resign
tlon ot Night Watoh Roland. RT
Trabert Is filling the position temporarily